Barrow History

1864 The station was established and a boathouse was built on Roa Island at a cost of £240. The station was known as Piel.

1884 A new slipway was built.

1889 The lifeboat moved to Barrow and was kept afloat. The station name was changed from Piel to Barrow.

1892 The wooden boathouse was transferred from Piel to Barrow and a new slipway was built.

1898 The station transferred back to Roa Island as it was quicker to launch to most casualties.

1901 A special launchway was built with a trolley that ran down to the water on rails; when the trolley hit the buffers at the end of the rails the lifeboat launched into the water.

1927 The first motor lifeboat to arrive on the Lancashire coast was stationed at Barrow.

1943 Bronze Medals were awarded to Motor Mechanic JA Moore and his son, Assistant Mechanic Frank Moore, when they rescued two crew from the fishing boat Seabird. At great personal risk they rowed out at night in a strong wind and very rough sea to the fishing boat, which had dragged her anchor on a lee shore.

1952 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain Roland Moore for rescuing two people from the yacht Faithful.

1958  A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain Roland Moore when the lifeboat took a sick man off the Morecambe Bay light vessel on 24–25 September in near hurricane force winds. The seas were exceptionally rough and the light vessel was pitching violently. The man was successfully grabbed by the lifeboat crew at the second attempt.

1964 A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station.

1964 An inshore lifeboat (ILB) station was established with a D class lifeboat.

1974 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain Robert Charnley when the lifeboat rescued three crew from the yacht Zelma II, which was aground two and a half miles north west of Lowsey Point.

1986 The boathouse was adapted for the new Tyne class lifeboat.

1998 A new boathouse was completed.

2003 A Framed Letter of Thanks was presented to Coxswain Alexander Moore for saving two men from the sinking yacht Xantho on 20 October 2002. This was a long service in rough seas, heavy rain and an easterly gale.

2004  Following a Coast Review it was agreed that Barrow lifeboat station would receive a new Tamar class lifeboat in due course. There will be no change to the inshore lifeboat cover.

2006 Coxswain Alexander Moore was awarded the MBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours.

Station honours

At Barrow lifeboat station the following awards have been made:

Framed Letter of Thanks 1

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 2

Bronze Medal 3